President Obama to deliver Worcester Technical High graduation address

Thursday

Mar 20, 2014 at 9:17 AMMar 20, 2014 at 3:11 PM

President Barack Obama will deliver the main address at the June 11 Worcester Technical High School graduation. The event will be held at the DCU Center.

The school made the announcement this morning.

Members of the senior class were called to the auditorium for what Principal Sheila Harrity had promised would be a "pleasant surprise" about graduation. Once Ms. Harrity revealed the big news, the pupils jumped to their feet, screaming with joy and exchanging high-fives.

Ms. Harrity became emotional as she delivered the news.

Worcester Tech will be the president's lone high school graduation this year.

"We are honored that President Obama has chosen to address the graduates of Worcester Technical High School," Ms. Harrity said in a prepared statement. "As a pre-eminent leader and advocate for Career and Technical Education (CTE), the president's work and commitment to promoting equality of opportunity for all, will inspire the class of 2014."

Tech senior Shianne Delgado cried when she heard the president was coming to her graduation.

"I'm still in shock," she said later.

The last sitting president to visit Worcester was Bill Clinton, who spoke at the December 1999 memorial ceremony after the warehouse fire that claimed the lives of six Worcester firefighters.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the commencement address at the College of the Holy Cross.

Last week, Arne Duncan, the U.S. secretary of education, visited Worcester Technical High School.

In September, Ms. Harrity was recognized as National High School Principal of the Year, the first Massachusetts principal to earn the honor. Gov. Deval Patrick visited the school for that announcement.

The Worcester Technical High School graduation was initially scheduled for June 2, with the change to June 11 to accommodate the president.

Return to telegram.com for more on this story.Linda Bock of the Telegram & Gazette staff contributed to this report.